One Last Death
by Sylvan Snape
Summary: In the midst of despair, one last death will fix it all.


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One last Death

By: Sylvan_Snape

One last death, and he would be free.

Severus paced the floor of his hidden chambers, consternation and doubt gnawing at him, stooping his shoulders. He knew what had to be done, but wasn't entirely sure he could. Never had Severus, in all his years as a Death Eater, felt as totally, utterly helpless and alone as in that moment. He ran a shaking hand through his hair, which was graying and torn out in places. He winced as he accidentally brushed a bare spot, reopening the slowly forming scab. 

"You deserve every ounce of pain you get snake!" Severus' prisoner, the giver of his injuries, yelled at him angrily. He'd long since given up talking his way out of death, knowing his soon to be killer far too well to hope.

.

Severus only shuddered as he spoke, pacing over to his potion cabinet, grabbing a glass and his flask of Firewhiskey.

"That's right, Snake, get drunk first. You had no trouble killing all those other people while _perfectly _sober, but you can't face _this_ like a man, can you?"

His hands twisted around the glass, squeezing tightly.

"Poor poor Severus, everyone has left you, I wonder why. Oh yeah, you're a murderer, that's it, and now you're going to kill the only friend you've ever really had, aren't you?" His soon to be victim muttered sarcastically as Severus roughly swallowed the burning liquid.

Before any more could be said, a bright flash of blue alerted Severus that someone was knocking on his Study door. Quickly, he left the hidden room, and casting the chamber-sealing spell as he went, ran over to answer the pounding from outside. He opened the door just as Albus was turning to leave.

"Severus," Albus sighed sadly. "I am so glad you're home, I have terrible news. Last night, Harry disappeared. We fear the worst, that Voldemort has taken him."

Severus tried to hide is total lack of surprise as he led Dumbeldore into is Study, settling himself in an overstuffed black leather chair and offering his mentor some Chai Tea.

"This is terrible news indeed Albus," He said. "We can only hope that Harry can protect himself until a rescue can be made, if he's even still alive, that is."

_If only Albus knew how far from rescue Harry truly is _Severus told himself as he brought his teacup to his lips, forcing all his spy skills to the surface to try and look concerned.

"Well," Albus continued. "I thought you should know, since we may need your services again tonight." 

_Yes, I must go and risk my life for that stupid boy, how surprising. _Severus wanted to mutter at Dumbledore, his irritation and feelings of being disregarded boiling just below the surface. Instead he simply nodded, and Albus took the look on his face as a sign he'd like to be alone, and left quickly. 

As the door shut behind Dumbledore, Severus tried his best to hold back his tears, his shaking shoulders the only giveaway. Sinking deeply into his black armchair, he thought of Harry, and how Harry wasn't coming back.

_That night's Dark Revel held two special surprises. A new Death Eater, and a new sacrifice. All wearing masks to hide their identity, the Death Eaters, new and old, circled their prey, chanting and taunting the boy, ripping at his school robes. _

A voice rung out as their newest recruit lifted his wand to say the killing curse.

"No!" The dark figure in the chair screeched as it slid from it's position across the room. Raising its full height and staring the prey down as he shook and cried, Lord Voldemort grinned.

"A better death awaits this one, this sad little being that thought he could escape." He bent low, meaning for only the boy to hear, but Severus caught the words as well. 

"You were lucky I was as weak as I was when you were a child, or you'd be even more dead than your parents, if that's possible."

The figure on the floor seemed to find his Gryffindor spirit at that, and spat angrily in Voldemorts' reptilian face.

"CRUCIO!" He screamed at the child.

"CRUCIO!" He screamed again as the boy writhed in agony.

"CRUCIO!" He screamed a final time as the boy began to vomit blood. He backed away slowly, planning his revenge. 

"Lucius, Bellatrix, I'll give him to you for now, I think you know what to do." The two worst Death Eaters smiled at Him beneath their white masks and drug the lad away. Then the others slowly followed Voldemort into the study, to congratulate and Mark their newest associate. As the horrific noises of Lucius and Bellatrix's handiwork reached their ears, Severus knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, there would be no daring rescue, no way to reach him in time, no way to save him.

Harry was never coming back.

Severus was sobbing into his handkerchief by the time he finished the awful recollection of the previous night. Not for Harry, tears were pointless to waste on those who are gone. He cried for himself, for the first time in his dark life allowing such an emotion to be set free. 

He knew Harry had told them, there was no way around it. The Death Eaters would know by now where his loyalties truly lie, and all he had worked for would be lost. Voldemort had taken their main hope, and what little hope there was now hung in tatters like a broken spider web, almost invisible and pointless to try and catch. The Death Eaters would be attacking very soon, no doubt, and everyone would be killed, most wouldn't even bother to fight, once they saw who their attacker was. Severus had only one choice, one way to avoid being tortured to death.

He went to the secret room one last time, to finish his gruesome task. Sadly, his victim looked across the room at him, knowing it was time, time to take his death like a man. Without saying a word Severus walked over to him. As he lifted his wand and pointed it at his victim, he remembered the last thing he'd seen that night, the shattered body of Neville Longbottom lying dead at the feet of Harry Potter, Death Eater-who-lived. Severus looked at his victim, his own eyes looking back at him through the mirror his wand pointed at. 

One last death, his own death.

"Avada Kedavra."


End file.
